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Are we ready for self-driving cars?

Volvo is testing a self-driving car in the streets of Sweden. The technology is ready, but are the people? We ask the citizens of Gothenburg, Volvo's home town, what they think.

2:47 / May 16, 2014

Transcript

[MUSIC]
We're here in Gothenburg, Sweden the home of Volvo where the company is testing a self-driving car on the streets around the city.
By 2017 Volvo estimates they'll have 100 of these cars on the streets around here and then from there they will be expanding to the rest of the world.
There is a lot of excitement around this program but we wanted to see whether the people here in Gothenburg.
Actually trust these cars, so we thought we'd ask them.
Are you aware that Volvo's been testing an autonomous car around the streets of [UNKNOWN] here?
No.
You didn't know that?
So they have a car that drives itself.
How do you feel about that?
Pretty.
But it's also a little bit scary.
[LAUGH]
Would you trust a car with no driver if it was driving itself?
No.
I like to have control.
So probably not.
But do you think you could teach car to be a better driver than, than a human being?
Yeah.
It depends on who the driver is, so I guess but, yeah.
[LAUGH] Probably.
But do you think that you're a better driver than a, a computerized car then?
No, probably not.
[LAUGH]
At least you're honest, that's good.
Are you aware that's Volvo has been testing autonomous cars in the area around Gothenburg?
Yes, I've seen it.
And what do you think about that?
I don't know, I feel a bit unsure you, you like to have control over the wheel steering wheel.
Do you think that a car could be trained to be a better driver than a human though?
Maybe, maybe not.
I don't drive anywhere, I don't have a driving license, so better than me.
So then if you were buying a car then you'd probably want a car that could drive itself so you could be driven around, right?
Probably.
Do you trust a self-driving car.
Do you think they could be a better driver than any of them?
Yeah absolutely.
I think so.
Once everybody, every car is self-driving car I think it would be safer then, depending on.
I think that a computer driver is already better than a human but it feels more safe.
So if you were buying a car today would you want a car that had an autonomous driving function?
Yes.
I would.
I don't know I think about terminator and stuff like that.
[LAUGH].
So you're worried that they're just gonna run us down in the road.
[UNKNOWN] exactly run us down.
You know that Volvo is testing autonomous cars in the streets around Gothenburg?
Yes.
What do you think about that?
I think that is wonderful.
And you trust them?
I do.
And would you trust other people in autonomous cars?
Perhaps it's better with a driverless car than with somebody's talking on the mobile phone or something like that.
Mm-hm.
Do you do quite a bit of driving then?
No my wife takes care of the driving.
Oh, so you already have a driverless car then?
No, no, yeah you can see like that.
So there you have it.
Overwhelmingly, the people here in Gothenburg are in support of self-driving cars, but the question remains, what do you think?
[MUSIC]

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